Frequently asked
Snow removal FAQ
Straight answers to the questions we hear before a contract is signed.
What is a trigger depth and why does it matter?
The trigger is the snow depth that starts a visit. The standard is 5 cm; a 2 cm trigger is available and costs more because a normal Toronto winter produces many more 2 cm events than 5 cm ones. It is the single term that most changes both the price and how often you see us, so it is written on every quote.
Do you clear the sidewalk in front of my house?
It depends on your municipality. Toronto clears most residential sidewalks with its own equipment, so we leave the sidewalk out of Toronto quotes unless your street is one the City does not service. Several GTA municipalities make the sidewalk the owner's job within a set number of hours after snowfall, and there it can be written into the contract. Each area page carries the local rule.
What happens when it keeps snowing after you clear?
Return visits happen when accumulation passes the trigger again during the same storm. That is what the trigger is for. Drifting and freezing rain outside a snowfall are handled under the salting terms.
Is salting included?
It is a separate line on the quote: included for the season, per visit, or none. Rock salt handles most days; ice-melt blends go on steps and entrances on very cold nights. On commercial properties every application is logged with the product and time.
What is in the service log, and who gets it?
For homes, a short note after each visit by text or email. For commercial properties, arrival time, depth at arrival, surfaces cleared, product applied and departure time, sent to the manager with a monthly summary. It is your record for insurance and for Ontario's 60-day slip-and-fall notice window.
Do you promise a clear-by time?
Not in writing, and we would be wary of anyone who does during a blizzard. The contract states the trigger and the order in which properties are served. That is a promise we can keep and prove with the log.